A mission to fulfil

Lance gritted his teeth as he clenched his fist. Staring at the audacious man in front of him, he thought of stabbing him with scissors or something sharp. Many thoughts ran through his mind and he had already started imagining a fight scene where he had punched off the man's teeth.

Adele just helplessly watched as tension increased between the two men in her life. There was nothing she could do in the state she was in. Mr. Hale's eyes darted to her with a small smile on his face.

"Since your best friend doesn't want to leave, I might as well leave and come back later. I just dropped by to see how you were faring." He walked toward her and finally, posed his face closer to hers.

"No matter how many days you spend here, you still owe me three days." His voice was low and filled with malice. He didn't like the fact he was leaving because of her so-called best friend.

"Get well soon, my dear." He patted her hair and shared a short stare with Lance before leaving. He ticked his jaw as he walked.

"Never again is this going to happen." He swore.

Lance's expression softened when he turned to Adele.

"Is he telling the truth? Are you two really together?" He asked solemnly.

Adele didn't reply to him. Instead, she turned her face from him. He took her gesture as a positive answer to his question. He felt bad about himself. Because he was too late to express his feelings, someone else swooped right in and claimed her.

"It's fine." He smiled sadly. "I'll still do what I can about raising the money for your surgery, alright? Don't worry about that."

Adele didn't know how she was going to tell him not to worry about it. In her mind, she had already hurt him a lot. And she still would in the future.

*******

Three days later and Adele was discharged from the hospital. Her illness was getting the best of her. She emaciated slightly because of her loss of appetite and her hair had begun to fall out. Her life span always gradually shortening. Her doctor feared that she might not be able to live up to the speculated time. Regardless, Adele didn't flinch. She knew she would be getting the surgery soon. She knew she would be alright for a longer while. Long enough for her wish to come to pass.

Gina noticed Adele was packing up her clothes when she went inside to check on her. During Adele's days at the hospital, she received a text from Mr. Hale that he would be sending someone to pick her up.

"Why are you packing your things?" Gina asked as she dropped a tray containing some fruits. She knew her friend didn't eat much but she still wanted to try. She felt there was still hope.

"I don't want to talk about it," Adele replied grimly.

"Girl, you don't have to go back home to that bas*tard of a stepbrother. It's not as though they'll change once they find out about this." Gina tried to convince her but her words fell on deaf walls. Her mind was already made up.

"I'm not going back to that house." Adele sighed as she stood up and walked to the wardrobe.

"Then where are you going?"

"Somewhere I can seek help for a bit. There is a mission I have to fulfill and if I don't, I will never rest in peace."

Gina felt her friend was getting depressed. She just sighed and left the room. She agreed within her herself to let Adele do whatever she wanted to do without questioning her. Adele could use some space to take care of some things while she was still alive. Having more fun included.

She, Gina, couldn't imagine herself dying any time soon. She still had lots of things to enjoy and places to travel to. She felt sorry for her friend for such a cruel fate.

Shortly, a limousine was parked in front of the house. Gina was the first to see it because she was settled in the living room. She wondered who brought such an expensive car to their semi-rural area and even parked in front of her house. As she peeped through the window, she saw a man alighting the car. She shrieked when he started walking toward her house.

"Uhm... Adele?" She slowly stepped away from the window and rushed to Adele's room.

"Are you expecting anybody... uh... fancy?" She asked.

"Fancy?" Adele tilted her head, confused. She wondered greatly what her friend meant by 'fancy'. Probably, Mr. Hale had shown up in one of his expensive-looking coats.

A knock that sent Gina's heart flying came to the door. Adele laughed her Gina's funny expressions and offered to get the door.

"Miss Bennett?" The man asked and she nodded. It was then she understood Gina's question. The man wore a black suit with a white waistcoat and Windsor collars. In his white-gloved hands was a watch which he constantly looked at and a monocule on his face.

"Please, get your things. The master is waiting."

"Master?! What master? What's he talking about? Where the hell are you going?" Gina overheard their discussion. Adele walked past her to the room and brought out the only bag she had packed.

She didn't speak to her friend until she left the house with the strange man. She felt bad and hoped her friend would see the letter on the floor. She knew her simple answers wouldn't satisfy Gina, and hence, decided not to speak to her at all.

Adele's thoughts were cut short when they arrived in front of a gate that had words written in italics at the top.

"Wynknight..." It read. "What's that?"

"If it's necessary for you to know, the master will let you know." The butler replied sternly. Adele was taken aback by this coldness that emitted from him. Everyone around him was just like him.

"Say, is it okay to visit a friend of mine?"

"No." The man was quick to refuse.

"Please, I need to. I didn't have time to explain things and say goodbye." Her voice was meek and innocent, devoid of ulterior moves.

"The master comes home by 6. Make sure you're here before 5." He ordered.

"Thank you very much."

The drive to the main building from the gate was long. That was the journey she was supposed to make to and fro. She checked her phone. It was already one.

"Is it okay if I..." Her statement was cut short by the arrangement of maids that stood at the door, waiting to welcome them. Adele felt that she had left the 21st century and was in another world. Did somewhere like this exist in modern times? She thought they had gone through a time portal when they drove past the gate.

"You may leave as soon as possible." He said and alighted. At first, she thought he was a strict man but he revealed his soft side too soon. Maybe he was just acting out the orders of his boss. As she descended too, the maid bowed down to her. She looked around to see the butler beside her.

"Yeah, it's him. Not me." She thought.

Adele was taken to a room which she felt was hers. It was wide with a king-sized bed located in a corner with purple translucent curtains surrounding it. A chandelier hung from above, giving the room the soft brightness it radiated.

"You can come out when you're ready." The butler bowed and left. Shortly, a maid brought in her bag and dropped it at one corner.

With a malicious expression, she bowed and left the room.

"What was that?" Adele mused. "Not used to having female visitors, I see."

Her phone beeped at that moment. It was Gina stating she was already at the venue.

Yes, she had fixed a date to explain everything to Gina as leaving her in the dark was troublesome.

"I'll be there shortly." She texted back and dropped her phone. She heard thunder rumblings. She moved to the window with a frowned face.

"Not today." She prayed.